Door lock and operator



Feb. 18, 1930.

F. DlTCl iFIELD 1,747,864

DOOR LOCK AND OPERATOR Filed April 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Qfvvenfi?"{42%655. Ewm 0120; field 2 Shuts-Sheet 2 F. DITCHFIELD DOOR LUCK ANDOPERATOR Feb. 18, 1930.

be closed bya door 13.

Patented Feb. 18, 1930 UNI-TED vstares PATENT OFFICE FRANK DITCHFIELD,OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE YOUNGSTOWN STEEL noon COMPANY, or'crnvnnann,

OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO noon LOCK AND ornna'ron Application filedApril 28,

This invention relates to improvements in door lock and operator, and,more specifically, to such a door lock and. operator as is particularlyadapted for horizontally slidable doors ofthe box car type.

One object of the invention is to provide a door lock and operator ofthe lever type wherein relatively high leverage is effective in the mostefficient manner for forcing the door during the last part of itsclosing movement and during the. initial part of its opening movement.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a combined looking andoperating device including-a hasp so arranged that the hasp may bereadily pried E of its staple by the operating element so as tofacilitate openlng of the door in the event of binding between the haspand its staple.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a combined lock andoperator of the type above indicated whereinthe locking. means and theoperator proper may be applied as a single unit.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from thedescription and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Fig. 1 is anelevational view of a portion of a box car showing my improvementsapplied to the side door thereof. Fig. 2 is a. vertical sectional viewcorresponding to the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. In this figure, the dotted lineposit-ion of the lever indicates the position assumed when releasing thehasp from its staple; Fig. 3is a horizontal sectiona1 view correspondingto the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig.4 is a detail vertical sectional view ofthe locking means corresponding to the line H of Fig. 1. And Figs. 5 and6 are views corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2, respectively, showinganother embodiment of the invention.

Referring first to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to at,inclusive, the side wall of the box car is indicated at 10, the samehaving a door opening defined in part by a front door post 11, saidopening being adapted to .The door which I have chosen for illustrationis of the sheet metal ing 21 adaptin the hasp casting is secured to the:tension 28 has a head at its 1923. Serial No. 273,477.

the details of the front edge of which that is entered through anopening in the ridge of the vertically extending corrugation 18 of thedoor and by which the fastener is effectively interlocked with the door.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a hasp designated generally bythe reference character A; a locking means indicated generally by thereference character B; and an operator C. I

The hasp A is pivotally connected to the loop 16 of the fastener abovereferred to, said hasp A being relatively elongated and having anarcuate end 19 normally extending upwardly and the free end of which hasan opening or recess 20 for the purpose hereinafter described.Intermediate its ends,the hasp or link A has a longitudinally extendingopento be positioned over the staple 22 or the locking device proper B.Said staple 22 is preferably formed integrally with a casting having abase section or web 23, an outwardly offset web or housing section 24and a laterally extended flange 25. Said car side by any suitable meanssuch as rivets or bolts indicated at 26. The outwardly ofiset housing orweb .2 1 has a vertically elongated slot 27 therein in which is suitablymounted a lateral extension 28 on the locking pin 29. Said exinner end,as shown in Fig. 4, thereby preventing the looking pin 29 from becomingdisassociated from the securing casting when the latter is in place onthe car side. The pin. 29 has its lower end 31 adapted to enter a slot32 provided in the staple 22 on the outer side of the hasp A when thelatter is in locked position.

The pin 29 is also preferably provided with a lateral extension 33 whichis positioned closely adjacent the staple 22 when the looking pin is inoperative position, said projection 83 having a small opening or recess34 therein aligned with the opening 32 in the staple and adapted toreceive the band of the usual type of railroad seal.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the lateral extension 25 of themounting plate is formed with an integral boss or fulcrum 35 projectinghorizontally outwardly therefrom, as shown in Fig. 2. The operatinglever C is loosely pivotally mounted on said boss, as shown in said Fig.2, the opening 36 in the lever for this purpose being preferablyoutwardly flared, as shown in Fig. 2. At its upper end, the lever C hasa relatively short extension or bar 37 which maybe slight- 1y rounded,as indicated at 38, the rounded edge forming a fulcrum for the lever Cwhen the lower or handled end 39 thereof is pulled outwardly, as shownby dotted lines in Fig. 2. In this operation of the lever C, the lateralextension plate 25 serves as the bearing for the lever in any angularlyadjusted position that the latter may assume, as shown in Fig. 1. Thelever C is retained on the boss 35 by any suitable means, such as thewasher i0 and rivet 41.

Intermediate the point of its pivotal support and the handle end proper,the lever C is provided with an outwardly projecting rounded lug 42having a somewhat enlarged ilange 43 at its outer end. Said lug 42 is ofsuch size as to'enter the opening or recess 20 in the hasp A and, afterbeing entered, the flange 43 will slightly overlie the surface of thehasp or link A and prevent accidental aisengagement.

Assuming the parts in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, myimprovements are utilized as follows. After breaking the train seal, thelocking pin 29 is lifted vertically so as to be disengaged from thestaple 22. It frequently happens that the hasp binds very tightly on itsstaple, due to slight shifting of the door or weaving of the car partswhile in motion and it has heretofore been difiicult, at times, toproperly release the ordinary hasp from its staple. WVith myimprovements, any

such diflicultyis easily overcome by the operator merely pulling thelever C outwardly at its-lower end to a position such as indicated bythe dotted lines in Fig. 2. Ample leverage is thus provided to forciblyloosen the hasp or link A-from'the staple 22. After the hasp has thusbeen disengaged from its staple, the lever C is swung to the dotted lineposition in Fig. 1 so as to bring the stud 42 thereon opposite theopening 20 in the link, whereupon the free end of the link is appliedover the lug 42, as will be understood. The lever C is then swung in acounter-clockwise direction, thus forcibly starting the door in anopening direction. Attention is called to the fact that the hasp or linkA is so curved at its free end and the lug 42 is so located on the leverC that the line of applied force or substan- -dent that the lever D istially directly, horizontally in line with the point of attachmentbetween the hasp and the door, thus obtaining the most effectiveapplication of the force to the opening of the door at the beginning ofthe opening movement, at which time the greatest force is desirable.After the door has been partially opened, the lever and hasp aredisengaged, as will be understood. The final closing of the door isaccomplished by the hasp A and lever G by detachably locking the sameand swin ing the lever C to the left, or clockwise, as wi 1 beunderstood. In the locked condition of the parts, it will be observedthat the pin 29 locks the hasp A and the latter in turn overlies thelever C so that it cannot swing outwardly from the car side. It willfurther be observed that all parts of my improved combination, with theexception of the hasp proper, are adapted to be applied to the car sideas a unit, thus not only minimizing the cost of labor but assuring leverto the locking device proper and hence with respect to the hasp when itis brought into play.

Referring next to the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5, thearrangement of door retainer, hasp and locking device is the same as inthe first described form. The only difproper relationship of theferences are with respect to the mounting of the operating lever D. Inthis form, the base plate of the locking device has a lateral extensionor web 125. To mount the lever D a somewhatdifferent arrangement isprovided. From the web 125 is outwardly extended a hub or journal 135 onwhich is freely rotatably mounted a special hanger or support 60, thelatter having an upwardly projecting radial flange 61 and a shorterdownwardly extending flange 62. Said hanger is held in place by a washer140 and rivet 141. The lever D, at its upper end, has a loop sectionproviding two side arms 63-63 which straddle the flange 61 and by whichthe lever is pivotally connected to the latter through a pivot-formingrivet 64. Below the pivot 64,

the loop is widened as indicated at 65-65 so as to surround the hanger60 and alsoclear the washer 140. The lever is also suitably notched asindicated at 66 to receive the downwardly projecting flange 62 of thehanger so that, when the lever D is swung in a plane parallel to the carside, a substantial interlock is provided between the lever proper andits support or hanger.

In the embodiment just described, it is eviswingable about one axis forforcing the door open through the hasp or link'A and to close the door,the same as in the preceding form described. Similarly, the lever D isswingable outwardly so as to release the hasp from its staple, thismovement being about the pivot 64, as clearly illustrated by the dottedline position of the parts in Fig. 6.

' door; and means I have herein shown and described what I now considerthe preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same ismerely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications thatcome within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1'. In a device of the character described for slidable doors, incombination: A link; a lock for said link; and an operating lever, thelatter being mounted for movement about two different axes, whereby,when swung about one axis, the same is cooperable with the link to.force it in a plane parallel to the door and, when swung about its otheraxis, is cooperable with the link to force it in a direction transverseto the plane of the door.

2. In combination with a door member and a door framing member, a linkelement adapted to be attached to one of said members; an operatingelement; and a locking device, the latter and said operating elementboth being adapted to be attached to the other of said members, thelocking device being directly cooperable with the link, said operatingelement having movement in two directions whereby it is adapted todirectly disengage the link from the locking device.

3. In a door locking and operating device, the combination with a hasp;of a staple cooperable with the hasp; a locking element cooperable withthe staple to lock the hasp thereto; a lever cooperable with the hasp toforce it in either direction parallel to the for forcibly loosening thehasp laterally from the staple.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a baseplate having a portion thereof adapted to provide a fulcrum bearingsurface; of an operating lever mounted on said plate and having an endthereof arranged to fulcrum on said portion; a haspstaple rigid withsaid plate; and a locking pin also mounted on said plate.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a hasp;of a haspstaple; an operating lever disposed adjacent said hasp-staple,said lever mounted to swing in a direction parallel to the door and alsoin a direction transverse thereto whereby, when moved in the last nameddirection, said lever is adapted to engage the hasp and move it from itsstaple. I

6. In combination with a car having a door opening and door frame, ahasp pivotally attached to the door; a cooperable staple and locking pinmounted on the door frame; an operating lever mounted on the door frameand movableoutwardly therefrom, said hasp overlying the lever when thehasp is locked to its staple whereby outward movement of the lever isprevented when the door is locked.

7 In a door locking and operating device, the combination with anoperating link having a curved free end; of an operating lever;

and cooperable detachable locking means on said lever and the free endof said link, said means being so located with respect to the supportfor the lever and point of attachment of the link that the point ofdetachable connection between the link and lever is substantially inalignment with the point of at tachment of the link.

8. In a car having a door opening and a horizontally slidable door, thecombination with a hasp pivotallyattached to the forward edge of thedoor, said hasp having an arouate free end; a lever pivotally mounted onthe car side to swing in a plane parallel to the car side; anddetachable operating means on the lever and free end of the hasp, saidmeans being so located with respect to the point of support of the leverand point of attachment of the hasp to the door that, in the beginningof the opening movement 0 the door, the force from the lever is appliedsubstantially in a horizontal line in alignment with the point ofattachment to the hasp and door.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a hasp;of a haspstaple; a lever supported intermediate its ends at a pointadjacent the staple, one end of said lever providing a handle formanipulating the lever and the end of the lever on the opposite side ofthe point of support providing a fulcrum for the latter when the latteris moved laterally with respect to the hasp whereby, upon such lateralmovement, the lever is adapted to engage the hasp and pry it from thestaple.

10. In combination with a door member and a door framing member, anactuating element mounted-on one of said members; an operating elementmounted on the other of said members; and means for locking saidoperating element, said operating element, when in locked position,overlying the actuating element and the latter being movable laterallyto positively move the operating element from its locked position.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed myname, this 29th day of March, 1928.

FRANK DITCHFIELD.

